political prisoners

The Public Committee Against Torture (PCATI) submitted two group complaints to the Israeli authorities after 29 Palestinian women testified about their ill-treatment and torture by the Shabak and Israeli soldiers last year.

The Palestinian prisoner rights group Addameer put out a statement today marking International Women’s Day (March 8), calling for the release of all Palestinian female political prisoners.

The Israeli Prison Service has transferred about 80 political prisoners from Gilboa prison section 4 to Nafha prison in the Naqab located in the sotuh of Israel. The transfer follows a recent solidarity hunger strike undertaken by the prisoners. Addameer’s Sahar Francis comments that the practice of transferring political prisoners is often used by Israel to repress organizing amongst Palestinian prisoners.

Political prisoner Ameer Makhoul, a Palestinian citizen of Israel and civil society leader currently held in Gilboa prison, says that Palestinian prisoners welcome the call for an international day of action on 17 April, Palestinian Prisoners’ Day. He also says that Palestinian political prisoners at Gilboa held a one-day hunger strike on 13 February, for which they were punished by the prison authorities.

The Palestinian prisoners advocacy group Addameer announced on Twitter yesterday that Israel had renewed an administrative detention order against Palestinian writer Ahmad Qatamesh for an additional six months. This is the third consecutive administrative detention order issued against Qatamesh.

An increasing number of organizations endorse the call to make 17 April a Day of International Action. Richard Falk and South African former political prisoners who resisted apartheid have added their weight to the call.

Khader Adnan is fighting for rights that should be guaranteed to all prisoners. Organizations from all over the world have launched a call to make Palestinian Political Prisoners’ Day, 17 April 2012, a day of international action.